Monthly Archives: June 2015

NCAA approves sprint medley, synchronized diving

On Thursday, the NCAA announced five new rule changes for the 2015-16 men’s and women’s collegiate swimming and diving seasons.

You can read the full story at swimswam.com, but here’s a quick rundown on the major changes;

  • Synchronized diving approved for dual and invitational meets to replace any springboard or platform event.
  • Backstroke starting wedges approved
  • 100 IM approved for inclusion at conference championship meets
  • Removing requirement to separate hands before taking dolphin kick on breaststroke pullout
  • Requirement for allowing strobe lights for deaf or hearing-impaired swimmers.

 

BI divers wrap up competitive season

The Bainbridge Island Dive Club finished the 2015 competitive club season at the USA Diving National Preliminary Zone E Championships June 10-12. The zone meet drew in divers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah and Nebraska.

Bainbridge’s Bryn Tiernan finished 18th in the 1-meter and 3-meter events with scores of 113.80 and 113.50, respectively. Tiernan competed in the 11 to 12-year-old division.

In the boys 12-13 division, Henry Sauermann, also of Bainbridge, placed 15th in the 1M and 3M with scores of 151.90 and 163.45.

Adrian wins 50 free in ‘absurd field’

Nathan Adrian
Nathan Adrian

Bremerton’s Nathan Adrian won the 50-meter freestyle at the Arena Pro Swim Series event in Santa Clara, California, Saturday.
Adrian’s time of 21.97 was an in-season best and moved him to eighth place in the world rankings for this year. He held off Bruno Fratus of Brazil, who was the top seed, in 22.02. Russia’s Vladimir Morozov was third in 22.27.
Adrian said with such a phenomenal field, he was happy to get his hand on the wall first.
“Any time you pop under-22 (seconds), it’s good,” he said.
Adrian is slated to swim in the 100 free Sunday. He is the defending champion in that event.

Also, check out this video of Nathan talking about 50 free field and the 100 free Sunday.

Adrian, swim elite headed to Santa Clara

Nathan Adrian of Bremerton is seeded second in the 100 free and third in the 50 free for the upcoming Arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara, California. (Rafael Domeyko, rafaeldomeyko.com)
Nathan Adrian of Bremerton is seeded second in the 100 free and third in the 50 free for the upcoming Arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara, California.
(Rafael Domeyko, rafaeldomeyko.com)

Nathan Adrian of Bremerton is slated to swim in the Arena Pro Swim Series event later this week in Santa Clara, California. The meet begins Thursday with a timed-final distance session. Friday-Sunday prelims begin at 9 a.m. followed by finals at 5 p.m.

Also expected to swim are gold medalists Natalie Coughlin, Anthony Ervin, Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Matt Grevers and Allison Schmitt.

Adrian, the defending Olympic champion in the 100 freestyle, is seeded second in that event with a time of 47.84 seconds. Russia’s Vladimir Morozov is the top seed with a time of 47.62. The 100 free is Sunday.

Adrian is also swimming the 50 freestyle. He’s the third seed with a time of 21.47. Bruno Fratus of Brazil is the top seed in 21.41 followed by Ervin in 21.42. Ervin and Adrian are teammates at California Aquatics.

The meet is being televised at Universal Sports Network. A webcast of the meet can be found at usaswimming.org.

 

Opalka, Sauermann earn gold at Provincial diving meet

Two members of the Bainbridge Island Dive Club, Zora Opalka and Henry Sauermann, won events at the BC Summer Provincials Dive Meet last weekend in Victoria, B.C., Canada.

Opalka, of Bainbridge, had a score of 391.65 on the 3-meter springboard in the 16-18 year-old division. She also placed seventh on the 1-meter (322.15).

Sauermann, of Bainbridge, won the 3-meter with a score of 203.55 and also earned a silver medal on the 1-meter with a score of 176.20.

BIDC teammate Cammie Rouser, of Kingston, earned silver in the 3-meter (331.15) and ninth on the 1-meter (278.40).

Poulsbo’s Jackie Hellmers, competing in the 14-15 year-old division, finished second on the 3-meter with a score of 240.95 and fourth on the 1-meter (235.20). In the 11-12 division, Bryn Tiernan of Bainbridge earned a bronze on both the 1-meter (162.30) and 3-meter (140.25).

Both Sauermann and Tiernan qualified for the USA Diving National Preliminary Zone E Championships in Beaverton, Oregon, June 9-12.

Nathan Adrian, USA Swimming join forces for second year of Make A Splash Initiative

Nathan AdrianMug.jpg
Nathan Adrian

Bremerton’s four-time Olympic medalist and 2012 freestyle champion Nathan Adrian is teaming up with USA Swimming Foundation for a second year to promote its Make A Splash Initiative.

Adrian joins Cullen Jones, Jessica Hardy and Jason Lezak as ambassadors. The initiative has provided swimming lessons and education to children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim. Since 2007, and with the help of its 725 providers, the program has helped more than 3.3 million children, according to USA Swimming.

Also, through the foundation’s Building Champions campaign, USA Swimming supports national team athletes and coaches through subsidies to help them achieve their athletic and personal goals.

Here are some stats provided by USA Swimming on drowning

  • Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with nearly 25 percent children younger than 14
  • 70 percent of African-American and 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim, according to a national research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis
  • Only 13 percent of kids who come from a non-swimming household will ever learn to swim, the USA Swimming Foundation found
  • African-American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers, the CDC reports
  • Drowning is a silent killer—most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the Present P. Child Drowning study